Science Buddies'
middle school science projects are the perfect way for
middle school students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our
middle school projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the
middle school grades. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.
For a personalized list of science projects,
middle schoolers can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard.
The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend
age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.
Imagine if instead of spooning up a bowl of soup, a container of yogurt, or a cup of pudding you could just pick up and pop in your mouth a round, mess-free, ball-like blob of one of those. It might feel like snacking rather than eating a meal! In this food science project you can try exactly that. The simple step-by-step directions will lead you through trying a fun cooking technique called reverse spherification to turn yogurt into semi-solid balls, which are called "raviolis." How do you…
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FoodSci_p075
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Chemicals need to be specially ordered. Specialty items may be purchased from our partner
.
See the Materials section for details.
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
Adult supervision may be needed for using a blender. All chemicals in this science project are safe to use (they are common food additives).
Chemicals from Earth's atmosphere are making their way down to the planet! Not in spaceships, but in rain. The acid rain can infiltrate ground water, lakes, and streams. How does acid rain affect aquatic ecosystems?
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EnvSci_p016
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
None.
Material Availability
Items will need to be special ordered. See the Materials and Equipment section for more details.
As you move up or down in altitude or elevation, the temperature and pressure will change. This is particularly striking if you live near a mountain range. During the summer, at low altitudes you may have temperatures in the 80's or 90's and still be able to see snow on mountain peaks at high altitude. You can test the effect of altitude by comparing temperature data from weather stations at high and low altitudes. You can test the effect of elevation by making your own weather balloon and…
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Where do you get your best ideas? At school with your friends? When you are out for a bike ride? Over 2,200 years ago, a scientist named Archimedes got one of his best ideas when he sat down in his bath. Eureka! He went running through the streets without even bothering with his clothes. What was he so excited about? He had discovered that when objects, like his body, are placed in water, water is pushed out of the way. Have you noticed that, too? The weight of the water that is pushed out of…
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Aero_p044
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Adult supervision is required when using the hammer.
The element lead is a neurotoxin that is particularly dangerous to young children. Among other uses, lead compounds were common paint additives until being phased out for safer titanium-based additives beginning in the 1960's. Lead compounds were also added to gasoline to prevent engine knocking, until being phased out beginning in the 1970's. Although paint and gasoline sold today no longer contain lead, soil can have contamination from older sources of lead, such as paint from old…
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EnvSci_p001
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Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
Material Availability
A lead soil test kit may need to be specially ordered. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.
A cricket as a thermometer? Yes, that is right! In this science fair project, you will investigate how the chirps of these tiny creatures can do more than lull you to sleep—they can tell you the temperature!
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Zoo_p055
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Time Required
Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites
You must be in an area where you can hear crickets chirping,
which they will only do if the temperature is between 55°F and 100°F.
Try your hand at this engineering challenge. Can you build a "launcher" device to launch a ball as far as possible and a "receiver" to catch it? Building a receiver provides an extra twist to a traditional catapult project. Add to the challenge by using a limited set of materials to build your machine and calculate a score based on your throw distance and materials used.
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Do you think you could build a car powered by nothing but air? A balloon-powered car is pushed forward by air escaping from a balloon, and it is fun and easy to build with materials you already have around your house. Can you imagine how you would want your own balloon-powered car to look? Can you design a car that will travel as far as possible? You can even measure your car's speed using your smartphone and Google's
app. Get ready to grab some simple supplies to bring your idea to life!
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Phys_p099
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Cutting some materials, like plastic bottles, can create sharp edges. Young children should have supervision when using scissors or hobby knives.
Some chemical reactions occur explosively fast, others may occur almost imperceptibly s-l-o-w-l-y. This project explores what effect the particle size of the reactants has on the speed of a chemical reaction: production of carbon dioxide gas by an Alka-Seltzer® tablet.
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Chem_p028
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Adult supervision recommended when working with hot water solutions
How many bits of information are in a digital photo? It depends on how many possible colors there are. Learn how to choose the right number of colors and bits to post your photo on the web or send it to your best friend.
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Photo_p009
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Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Specialty Item: Requires Adobe Photoshop or similar photo editing software
